Bridal Hair: Is a Trial Necessary?

IMO it's necessary cause otherwise you could spend way longer than anticipated the day of getting it right. If you have the trial, the hair stylist already knows exactly how they're gonna do it.

You can also find out if your hair stylist is pooey this way.

Imagine going to have your daughter's hair done only to find out that the stylist isn't able to match the inspiration photo your daughter has in mind. Or that she doesn't like the style on her. If she is wearing a veil, you might lose time trying to figure out where to place it, or how to secure it properly. The trial takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process and saves time the day of the wedding.

Yeah it is. I just got a trial done and she was unable to replicate what I wanted. It’s extremely important. You have no idea what it’ll look like unless you see that your hair person can do what she wants in advance.

I would highly recommend it. For my first wedding I skipped the trial and I was SHOCKED by what my hair looked like when it was finished. I nearly cried. Looking back at the photos, it was actually really lovely and suited me fine, but I am a very "wash and wear" sort of person who only blow-dries my hair maybe once a year so the look of it all coiffed and styled was a really unpleasant surprise at first. Ditto my makeup...looked great in photos, but I was totally floored and felt like I didn't look like myself when I first saw it.

I would suggest a hair trial. It gives you time to play around with different options, and ensures the stylist can pull off the desired look. If you find out you don't like it on the wedding day then you might start running behind on the schedule as you try and fix it.

Yes I think it is worth it because you want to capture the look you are loom for for your special day.

Absolutely! You want to first see how she will look in the hairstyle she has in mind and if the hairdresser can even pull it off. I would be really sad if I got my hair done that day and was disappointed in how it turned out. Not to mention you're usually short on time when getting ready for the big day and don't have time to redo it if something goes wrong.

IMO yes. I think about when I get a haircut and they style it for me at the end. While the style they did on me is a nice style, it's just not me nor something I'd have for everyday or any part of my life. Now, while that isn't bridal hair, I could only imagine something similar happening the day of. The look could be gorgeous, but just not for me. Trials 100%!

I would say yes. My stylist has told me of people getting super emotional during their hair trial because they found out what they wanted wasn’t possible with their hair or it wasn’t what they pictured. The wedding day is not the time to find that out.

I think a trial is totally necessary, for both hair and makeup. Do you really want to leave it in the hands of someone you may not know very well to “create your vision” on your wedding day? Personally, I’d rather have peace of mind and have a trial. At least at that point, you can know what you’ll look like and have time to change things you didn’t know you wouldn’t like.

I will not be doing a hair trial because my wedding is 1200 miles away from my house! However, if I was using a local stylist I would do a trial. You never know how long it will take, or wether you and a particular stylist have the same style until you work together.

I think a trial is necessary if she has never worked with the hair dresser and if she has an idea of what she wants but doesn't know for sure how it would be executed. I am more than likely going to use the same lady that did my hair for my senior prom and I absolutely loved how she did it (picture attached) so I probably won't be doing a trial unless I talk to her and she thinks I should. Especially since I just told her that I wanted an elegant updo and she did her thing. I think the trial is best for getting to know the artist and to ensure you get what you're paying them for. If I didn't know the hair dresser or had never worked with her, I would for sure be doing a trial.

Hair Example

OK, very helpful comments.

I don't think daughter has a "look" or "vision". I think she just wants someone to help her feel her most beautiful. Being shocked would not be good, though.

So, the comments that resonate with me, are saving time (and possible stress) on the day of the wedding. I can get behind that reason! One time, she had her hair done for a special concert, and it was horribly stressful the day of, so thanks for reminding me of that avoidable stress.

Thanks, much.

I agree with PP. it’s very necessary. It allows time to meet your stylist, and work out hair for the day and makeup. It also lets different ideas to be tried and one decided upon. 🙂

I wasn't able to do a hair or makeup trial as I got married out of state, it worked out in the end but if I had done a trial I probably would have gone with a different hair & makeup artist. I did simple curls for my hair style, but was very clear that I wanted my bangs out of my face [they always sweep to the side]. The curls looked great, but the professional put my bangs down on my forehead and I kept asking for them to the side. She had a bit of an attitude with me for asking, and told me it wasn't possible with my bangs since they wouldn't stay [I wear my hair like this every day and stays]. I felt very uncomfortable with where the bangs were so I pushed them to the side later. The way this lady spoke to me and I found out later [from my bridesmaids] the way she spoke to my sister-in-law was rude and I did not appreciate it. If I had worked with this individual prior I would have used a different vendor.

It was not for me. I used my regular hair stylist who is probably more familiar with my hair than me. If it's anyone else than her regular hair stylist I'd recommend one though so that they can both see how her hair reacts to products and how well it will stay.

I didn't have time to do a trial but we lucked out and my HMUA did a wonderful job. And I probably should have been more stressed about not doing a trial but it all worked out. I also did not have a strong vision of how I wanted my hair, so I was a bit more flexible and trusted my vendor.

I agree it's necessary. It's a great chance for the bride to make adjustments and figure out exactly what she wants. I am looking forward to my trial because it's impossible to know what you'll like until you see it on you. Inspo pics are only helpful to an extent.

I absolutely thought it was necessary. I picked a hairstyle that I ended up hating once I saw it on me. The hairstylist tried to alter it, but it just wasn't working. She booked me for a second trial to give me a couple days to find a new hairstyle to try, jow that I knew what I didn't like.

The new hairstyle worked so much better. We did, however, have some kinks to work out with it during that trial. It was helpful to be able to give the hairstylist feedback on what I didn't like about her execution so she could correct it and so she had a better idea of how to make it better on my actual wedding day.

It is definitely worth doing. I went through a couple hair styles I thought I would love before deciding on what I actually loved.